This retrospective study was designed to verify the factors that influence implant failures. Six prosthodontic clinics in Sweden participated in the study, and together they included a total of 54 patients treated between January 1988 and December 1996. All patients were completely edentulous in the maxilla, and received either a fixed prosthesis or an overdenture supported by at least 4 implants (Brånemark System). Half of the patients belonged to the study group, and an inclusion criterion for this group was that they had lost at least half of their implants. To reduce bias, the patients in the control group were matched to the study group, i.e. they were selected so that both groups were as identical as possible. The results of the study indicate that the control group had a better initial bone support than the study group. Furthermore, the patients in the study group suffered from circumstances that could induce implant failure, such as bruxism, personal grief, depression, as well as addictions to cigarettes, alcohol and/or narcotics. On the study form the clinicians were asked to give their own opinion of the reason for implant failure. The answers given could easily be grouped into 5 different topics, and this experience can be useful to improve patient selection. This study suggests that there are certain factors of importance to consider to prevent a cluster phenomenon of implant failures i.e. lack of bone support, heavy smoking habits and bruxism.